The scene of his exploits was a minute Liverpool music-hall; a place in which the “collars” needed no pass-out checks, but were trusted on their gentility and conspicuousness, while the scarved and scarveless, being in the vast majority, and indistinguishable in type, were scrupulously handed well-worn bits of pasteboard on their frequent expeditions in search of better liquor at cheaper prices.
Source: wiktionary